Mumbai Indians - IPL 2023 Squad Analysis

image-lfgqoty8Mumbai Indians Team IPL 2022 (Source: Twitter)

After a gruelling home season, it's time to celebrate the most joyous cricketing window of the year by welcoming the biggest T20 extravaganza, the Indian Premier League. Like every year, this IPL season promises to entertain cricket fans across the globe with some fierce on-field contests involving jaw-dropping twists. 

Speaking of the Mumbai Indians, the franchise has reached unprecedented heights under the astute leadership of Rohit Sharma. After satisfying themselves with the wooden spoon in five consecutive seasons, MI finally broke the jinx, adding the first-ever IPL trophy to their cabinet in 2013. And they have never looked back since then. 

For More Analytical Reads from OneCricket, Click Here.

With five triumphant campaigns, the most by any franchise in the league's rich history, Mumbai Indians have established themselves as a powerhouse in the tournament. However, their recent performance isn't as encouraging as they would like, as they are coming off two successive group-stage exits. 

But can Mumbai go all the way and claim their sixth title this season? Let's analyse and find out. 

Batters: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Dewald Brevis, Tilak Verma, Mohammad Arshad Khan, Ramandeep Singh, Tristan Stubbs, Vishnu Vinod.

All-Rounders: Tim David, Cameron Green, Hrithik Shokeen, Arjun Tendulkar, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera.

Bowlers: Jofra Archer, Kumar Kartikeya, Jason Behrendorff, Akash Madhwal, Jhye Richardson, Piyush Chawla, Duan Jansen, Raghav Goyal.



Strength

  • Batting depth: If you look at Mumbai's batting unit, you can expect sheer carnage from them, as they have outright match-winners slotted in their top six. Besides having a formidable Indian core comprising Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, MI have two clean strikers- Cameron Green and Tim David- in their squad. Also, multidimensional players like Jofra Archer and Ramandeep Singh give them the batting depth that every T20 side craves. 
  • Overseas core: The presence of marquee overseas players has been a trademark for Mumbai Indians over the years, and it's no exception this season either. While Cameron Green is a magnificent addition to the squad, the likes of Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Jofra Archer, Jason Behrendorff and Duan Jansen ensure that they have plenty of quality options to choose from during the tournament.


Weakness

  • Unreliable Spin bowling unit: As always, Mumbai Indians have yet again compromised with their spin bowling department. Although they have several options and variety, their spin unit comprising Shams Mulani, Hrithik Shokeen and Kumar Kartikeya doesn't seem threatening. Furthermore, the veteran Piyush Chawla is no longer the same bowler he used to be. In short, they lack a genuine wicket-taking spinner in their lineup, which might backfire on them in the middle overs.


Opportunity

  • Utilisation of Cameron Green: After releasing Hardik Pandya from their squad, Mumbai Indians were searching for an able replacement to fill his void. To fulfil their quest for an international all-rounder, MI made a long-term investment in promising Australian cricketer Cameron Green, buying him for a whopping INR 17.5 Crores in the mini-auction. While it remains to be seen where MI fit him in their star-studded lineup, it's certainly a massive opportunity for them to groom him into their first-choice all-rounder, as the 23-year-old can emerge as their trump card with both bat and ball in coming years. 
  • A host of young Indian talents: IPL gives a massive platform to the likes of Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Arjun Tendulkar, Arshad Khan and Akash Madhwal, who, being a part of the MI family, will learn a lot from the stalwarts during the IPL 2023. Also, considering their talent, we shouldn't be surprised if some of them make it into MI's playing XI at some point of time. 


Threat

  • Death bowling in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah: Had Bumrah been there, Mumbai Indians' bowling would've been in a better shape than their batting. But unfortunately, the ace Indian seamer has been ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury. So, it will certainly affect MI's death bowling, as Jofra Archer will have to shoulder the responsibility all alone. 
  • An injury-prone Jofra Archer: English speedster Jofra Archer has recently recovered from an injury. Also, being a seamer with a frontal action, he could possibly break down and redevelop the injury. With Bumrah and Jhye Richardson already out, MI will fall to pieces if, God forbid, Archer gets ruled out in the midway of the tournament. 

image-lfgqj3z2SWOT Analysis of Mumbai Indians (Source: OneCricket)


MI Team Rating Card

Top-order: 8.5/10
Upper middle-Order: 8.5/10
Lower middle-order: 6.5/10
Pace-bowling: 8/10
Spin-bowling: 6/10

Overall Rating: 7.5/10


Prediction

Although their batting unit looks robust, Mumbai Indians will have some tough times with the ball, as they have some glaring issues in their bowling department. So, we reckon they must punch above their weights to enter the playoffs in the IPL this season.